On Connection

Most organizations are hiring on instinct, under pressure,and with approaches built for a version of their business that no longer exists. The result is a cycle of poor fits, missed potential, and costs that compound in ways that are hard to see until the damage is already done. Corey Harlock, founder of KeyHire Solutions, has spent more than a decade helping businesses break that cycle. In this c...

Most leaders reach a point in their career where theirresponsibility outpaces their authority, where they're accountable for outcomes they can't simply direct people to produce. Whether you're coordinating across functions, driving a strategic initiative, or leading people who don't report to you, management skills that served you earlier in your career may not be sufficient to dri...

Most organizations were built to reward a very particularstyle of leadership — one that moves fast, projects certainty, and mistakes decisiveness for clarity. And yet what high performing teams actually need looks a lot more like curiosity, psychological safety, and the ability to hold complexity. These are qualities women (and feminine-leaning leaders more broadly) often bring naturally. They&#39...

In this episode of On Connection , we’re joined by Michele Pilibosian, a leader intentionally investing in her development and practicing what it means to let purpose lead. As leadership becomes less about control and more about influence, purpose can become a powerful anchor. In our conversation, Michele reflects on the challenge of balancing her values of empathy and kindness with honesty, addre...

We are all working in multigenerational environments, and for many the differences in preference and perspective generate more friction and misunderstanding than productivity. Most conversations about generations at work turn to using labels, assumptions, and overconfidence about what a given generation "is like." In this episode, we look at generational patterns as context, not conclusi...

In 2025, through hundreds of conversations with leaders of all levels across industries and geographies, we saw consistent patterns in the pressures and complexities organizations arefacing. At the close of the year, our consulting staff gathered to share these observations and identify the trends and conditions we believe will shape leadership and organizational performance in 2026. We compiled t...

This month, we’re bringing back one of our most listened-to and most referenced episodes of On Connection : The Art of Adjustment . Years after its original release, this conversation continues to resonate because the challenge it names hasn’t gone away. Adjustment, as we explore it here, is a discipline. It's a practice of pausing the action (especially in fast-moving, high-pressure environme...

In this episode of On Connection , we explore what truly sets leaders apart in the age of AI. While generative AI adoption is skyrocketing, technology alone doesn’t guarantee better outcomes. Leadership remains the critical differentiator, and the skills leaders need to be effective today go far beyond technical fluency. Joined by Kell Delaney , Global Partner at Conversant, we dive into the human...

AI is now a standing item at most strategic tables—shapinghow leaders think about markets, talent, and the future of work. But while investment and experimentation are rising fast, most organizations are still in the early chapters of integration. Beneath the strategy, there’s a quieter conversation about fear, trust, and what remains uniquely human. In this episode, we sit down with Peter Mulford...

Too often, vision and values work ends up as lofty statements that don’t translate into daily practice. But when it’s done well, it can transform how teams collaborate, make decisions, and connect to a shared purpose. In this episode of On Connection , we’re joined by Trisha Moslin from The Nature Conservancy’s Gift Planning team, who helped lead an effort to co-create a vision and values that wen...

In this episode, we’re joined by leaders from Vestas, a globally recognized wind energy solutions provider, to explore the profound impact empowering leaders to simply be present and connected with their teams can have on culture, performance, and safety in high-risk industries. After a rise in safety incidents, they launched the “Be Present” program—an initiative to strengthen relationships betwe...

"Insights are only as valuable as the action they inspire" For our final episode of the 10 Laws of High-Performance Collaboration series, we offer practical advice for translating any insights you may have gained into tangible value. Insights will only get you so far - you have to act your way into new ways of working. Our recommendations include... Pick ONE insight you found relevant to your work...

Law #10: The Law of Appreciation - "Appreciation is the soul of high-performance, bringing meaning, resilience, and joy to the workplace" In pursuit of high-performance, many of us have a tendency to focus on what there is left for us to improve. While it's important to be aware of where there's room to grow, it's just as important (if not more so) to celebrate the things peo...

Law #9: The Law of Accountability - "Accountability is based on well-supported contribution, not obligation, consequences, and punishment" Driving accountability is commonly considered a core capability for effective leadership, and is still a perennial challenge that many leaders have yet to master. This often comes up in a few intertwined ways: holding others accountable without creati...

Law #8: The Law of Learning - "Learning does not come from experience, it comes from reflecting on experience" High-performing teams and their leaders aren't just great at execution, they're great at knowing when it's time to pause, reflect on what has happened and been done to-date, and gather insights that can refine execution moving forward. Most "after action reviews...

Law #7: The Law of Resistance - "Where you feel resistance, do research" Influencing and generating alignment with others takes getting curious about their purposes, concerns, and circumstances. All human beings have things they care about, things they worry about, and circumstances they are facing that shape how they show up to a given situation. When we perceive someone is unaware of o...

Law #6: Inclusion - "Differences + Trust = Brilliance" Inclusion isn't a side initiative - it's a leadership skill that drives performance Collaboration requires not only navigating differences across a team but leveraging them in ways that drive valuable results and fuel future successes. Leaders often express fatigue around inclusion efforts that feel bureaucratic or disconnect...

Presence - All improvement begins with what is present Leadership Under Pressure Starts With Presence Leaders who can attune to their own cognitive, emotional, and physical experience in real-time - without judgement - are better equipped to handle complexity, defuse conflict, and show up with emotional intelligence when it counts most. In this episode, we explore why cultivating presence is found...

Law #4: Authenticity - "Pivot to purpose in the face of fear, threat & disappointment" Life, and life at work, bring plenty of opportunities for disruption, especially in the context of our relationships with others. A collaborative effort is bound to surface misalignments, differences of opinion, and competing priorities. Circumstances themselves may knock our plans off course, send...

Law #3: The Law of Connection - "The conversations are the work." In today’s complex, fast-moving organizations, leaders are under constant pressure to drive results, manage competing priorities, and keep teams aligned—often across functions, locations, and time zones. This episode of The 10 Laws of High-Performance Collaboration introduces The Law of Connection, and core principles of leadership...

Law #2: The Law of Listening - "The test for listening is learning." In today’s fast-paced, high-stakes environments, leaders are expected to drive results while fostering alignment, trust, and engagement. But one of the most underleveraged tools in that effort is also one of the most human: listening. This episode introduces the second Law of High-Performance Collaboration: Listening. W...

Episode 1: The Law of Teamwork — "The Source of Teamwork is a Common Future" What makes a group of people into a team? Not just shared tasks—but a shared future. In this opening episode of The 10 Laws of High-Performance Collaboration, we explore what it takes to cultivate a team that's grounded in shared purpose, common values, and commitments to measurable goals. We also discuss th...

The most powerful tool a leader has? The next conversation. Welcome to the first episode of our new series, The 10 Laws of High-Performance Collaboration —a series designed for leaders at all levels who want to unlock better communication, alignment, and performance in their teams. In this opening episode, we explore what makes collaboration valuable (and what makes it wasteful), the hidden power...

Leaders across industries and geographies are having to learn what it takes to drive progress in dynamic and unpredictable times. In this episode of  On Connection , we engage with Ryo Penna , an entrepreneur, facilitator, and "practical philosopher", to explore how conscious leadership can drive systemic prosperity. Drawing from his global experiences and recent research at University C...

In this episode of  On Connection , we sit down with Lenya Quinn-Davidson, Fire Network Director at the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. Lenya shares her insights on the critical role of love and connection in leadership, especially in the context of fire management and community resilience. Her work on beneficial fire practices, community engagement, and her leadership...